Putters are currently manufactured complete with integrally cast aluminum hosels. Few aluminum alloys suitable for casting are strong enough to serve as long hosels. Alternatively, a steel body and long hosel could be used but this would reduce the possibility of having the putter with higher density at each end and lighter density in the center portion. Using this type of construction, the hosel has to be of much heavier cross section and reinforced to achieve the desired strength. This restricts the shape and affects the desired appearance of the design.
The putter of the instant invention is made of two parts, the body has a high density material in the toe and the heel portions and a low density material in the center portions. This of course compensates for balls that are not hit squarely on the sweet spot. By making the hosel separate and then connecting it to the body of the putter directly or by means of a joint bar, it is possible to make the body from a material which is readily castable. This permits the use of light weight yet high yield strength material and thus maintains the maximum design with the heel and the toe being denser than the center. Not only can the putter, according to the present invention, have a hosel manufactured from a light weight yet high strength material, but this can be achieved without the use of a post assembly heat treatment process. By means of this invention, it is possible to combine a body which is manufactured using a lightweight material which is most suitable for the casting process with a hosel which is manufactured using another lightweight material having a high strength but is not readily castable. The body of the putter is still manufactured by using very high density material placed in the toe and heel portions of a mold and the center portion is constructed of light weight material. This low density material secures the heavy toe and heel in position by both mechanical and diffusion bonding means.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a putter which will have a combination of a readily castable light-weight body portion connected to a hosel or to a hosel through a joint bar of material which is not necessarily readily castable.
This, together with other objects of the invention, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.